Improvement in band-cutting forks



J. LOCKHART 8v G. W. 'ALBI N.

Band-Cutting Fork.

. No. 209,487.- Patented Oct. 29;"1878.

I l I E 1 F Imam-r [3R5 NJFEI'ERS, FHOTd-UTNDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON I.) (L

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN LOCKHART AND GEORGE W. ALBIN, OF NEOGA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAND-CUTTING FORKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,487, dated October 29, 1878 application filed September 13, 1878.

. To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that we, JOHN LOGKHART and GEORGE W. ALBIN, of N eoga, in the county of Cumberland and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Forks; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked grain together simultaneously with the motion by which it is thrown upon the platform of a thrashing-machine; and to this end'it consists of a fork having two or more slotted tines, through which works either a single or double edged knife, substantially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the annexed drawing, A refers to an ordinary fork-handle, in the end of which is a three-tined fork, B, provided with fenders b b. The tines b and fenders are slotted longitudinally to receive a single or double edged knife, 0, the heel of which is pivoted to the fork within its head or shank, as at 11*. The front of the knife 0 is made smooth and the back sickleedged, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. In the end of the knife-shank c is secured a connectingrod, D, which, at the opposite end, is pivoted to the handle 6 of the sleeve E, which slides on the fork-handle A.

The rod D is preferablyabout half the length of the fork-handle A.

Our device is operated as follows: Place the knife in the position shown in Fig. 2. Force the fork into a bundle of grain, with the hand between the outer tines, when the "bundle is raised to the platform of thethrashing-rn achine, and at the proper moment the sleeveE is moved toward the fork B, which causes the knife to out the band, after which the fork is withdrawn. The knife 0 now being at the opposite side of the fork, the said fork is inserted into another bundle, as before, when the sleeve is drawn toward the operator, causing the knife to cut the band with the back or sickle-edge and assume its former position. Thus, it will be seen, the knife cuts both ways.

This fork can be used as a hedge-cutter, in which case the knife. and possibly the fork, will be made heavier.

In practice, we find that our device will dispense with one and sometimes two hands in running a thrashing-machine, and also removes the danger of cutting thefeeders hands while feeding said machine.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patentis- 1. The combination, with a fork, B, having its tines b and fenders b slotted longitudinally, of a vibrating knife, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

2. The combination, with the fork B, having its tines b and fenders b slotted longitudinally, of the curved knife 0, its front made smooth and its back sickle-edged, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the handle A and fork B, having its tines slotted longitudinally, with or without. the fenders b b, of the knife 0, having a smooth front and sickle back edge, and shank c, connecting-rod D, and sliding sleeve E, with or without the handle 6, substan tially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own invention we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LOCKHART. GEORGE W. ALBIN.

Witnesses J. U. HOLLOWAY, J. W. SHULL. 

